Original Title：Das geheime Leben der Bäume (The Hidden Life of Trees)
This book can definitely be my favorite of 2018. I think this book best suits those who have gotten a bit tired of their busy life and would like a take a breather in a slow, tranquil atmosphere of forests. The image of trees is no longer static and quiet under the author’s pen but a vivid being that strives for a living. Trees are not objects. They are alien beings to humankind that have their own way of collaboration and communication, which is amazing and wonderous in my eyes.
Trees share friendship. Their growth needs sugar and water from the root and photosynthesis from their green leaves. In a forest where a tree is a member of its community, members together will support the sick individuals which with a high possibility will recover later and do the same to others. When trees grow together, those from the same species will be careful not to conquer each other when growing their branches, but they don’t care about those who are not part of their community and stretch their canopy eagerly to take more space and light. Even for those who are felled and only the stumps are left, they can still live for many more years if they have their friends by their side.
Usually, one adult tree is only capable of bringing up its one child grand enough to take its place by its death. Those saplings which have ‘a parent’ are lucky. Although they don’t share as much sunlight and energy as their parent, they hardly starved either. And because they grow slowly with minimum resources to live, the cells in their trunk are compact and full of water (tree blood) with little vacancy for fungi and pests to invade. Even when the parent dies, the remnant of the fallen trunk will become their nutrients.
Trees can communicate. They use scent instead of a verbal language. If a tree is attacked by pests or other things, it will send this scent-mail to other trees nearby, so those who are informed are able to put up a defense in time, such as releasing certain chemicals through air or resin that can avoid the approach of threats.
For other parts of the book, the author also depicts ecosystems between fungi, algae, various bugs and birds, from a tree root to treetop, and across America to Asia, too plentiful to shorten them into just several paragraphs. All in all, I enjoyed the excursion with the author light and relaxing tone of storytelling.
